Google Image Search and the Misappropriation of Copyrighted Images — In 2013, Google changed its image search function from displaying low resolution thumbnails in its results to offering full size, high resolution versions of the images. Last week, Getty Images filed a complaint in support of the EU’s ongoing investigation into Google’s anti-competitive behavior, saying “[b]ecause image consumption is immediate, once an image is displayed in high-resolution, large format, there is little impetus to view the image on the original source site.” Kevin Madigan has more on the issue.

Can a Copyright Protect a Cheerleader Uniform? — Continuing its trend of picking very niche copyright cases, on Monday the Supreme Court granted cert in Varsity Brands v Star Athletica, concerning the copyrightability of cheerleader uniforms. Specifically, the Court will look at the idea of conceptual separability, the doctrine used by courts to distinguish between noncopyrightable functional aspects of useful articles and copyrightable creative features of those articles. The Court will hear the case next term, which begins in October.

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Copyhype provides news and info on current developments relating to copyright law, the media industries, and the digital economy. It cuts through the hype to bring reasoned discussion aimed at both legal and nonlegal audiences.

Terry Hart is currently VP Legal Policy and Copyright Counsel at the Copyright Alliance. Any opinions expressed on this site remain his own and not necessarily those of his present or any past employers.